What happens to horses that can no longer, or should no longer, live on? In Sweden most are euthanased at home or at a clinic – only a fraction are slaughtered for food.
The question of what happens to horses that are no longer needed – because of age, injury, money or changed circumstances – is one of the most emotionally charged in horse welfare. In Sweden most horses are euthanased at home in the yard or at a clinic, while barely a third of those put down are slaughtered for food, according to Hästnäringens Nationella Stiftelse's (the Swedish Horse Industry Foundation, HNS) project Hästliv. Jordbruksverket (the Swedish Board of Agriculture) reports that just over 900–1,200 horses are slaughtered at approved abattoirs each year – a figure that has halved in two decades.
When a horse can no longer live on, it is the owner who decides where and how it should happen – and what happens to the body. In Sweden the options are, in practice, three: euthanasia at home or at a clinic with subsequent disposal of the body, slaughter at an approved abattoir for food, or, in exceptional cases, placing the horse with a charity.
The Hästliv project, run by HNS in 2012–2013 in collaboration with Jordbruksverket, LRF (the Federation of Swedish Farmers) and SLU (the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), mapped precisely these paths. The conclusion was clear: of the total number of horses euthanased each year in Sweden, barely a third are slaughtered for use in the food chain. The rest are put down in other ways – often at home – and the body is handled through cremation, rendering or similar, which can cost from a few thousand kronor up to SEK 15,000 or more depending on weight and location.
Jordbruksverket collects weekly statistics from every abattoir in the country. In 2024 around 1,200 horses were slaughtered; in 2025 just over 900. The figures vary from year to year but generally sit around a thousand. Unlike cattle and pigs, slaughtered horses cannot be linked to individual farm businesses in the statistics – they are reported as a category of their own.
Slaughter is legal in Sweden and takes place at abattoirs approved for horses under food law. The owner must contact the abattoir in advance, have a valid horse passport and ensure that the horse has not been treated with medicines that make it unfit for food – one of the commonest reasons a horse cannot be slaughtered.
Hästliv pointed out that slaughter can be advantageous for both welfare and sustainability when it is possible: the process takes place under controlled conditions, the horse may not need to travel as far as to some clinics, and the body is used rather than destroyed. At the same time the number of abattoirs that take horses has fallen – especially after the 2013 horsemeat scandal – which makes it harder to find available options across the country.
Paradoxically, 150–400 tonnes of horsemeat are imported into Sweden each year according to Hästliv, while Swedish horsemeat rarely reaches shop shelves in practice. HNS continues to spread knowledge about the options at the end of a horse's life, and highlights that owners are often unprepared when the decision has to be made.
The term 'surplus horse' is often used in international debate, especially in the United States, where export for slaughter has been extensive. In Sweden there is no official statistic on surplus horses – neither Jordbruksverket, the länsstyrelser (county administrative boards) nor the industry organisations record how many horses cannot be sold, rehomed or kept.
That does not mean the problem does not exist. Horses end up in difficult situations for several reasons: old age, financial pressure, behavioural or health problems, or because the horse has 'served its purpose' for the owner. Hästliv emphasised that many owners lack knowledge of their options and therefore make decisions under stress – or put them off until the situation becomes acute.
Preventive responsibility sits, in practice, with every owner: to plan for the horse's whole life already at purchase or breeding, to be transparent when selling, and to seek help in time if the horse cannot be kept. Read more in our welfare article on older horses and retirement.
Transport to slaughter is covered by EU rules and Swedish regulations on animal transport – the same framework that applies to other horse journeys, with requirements for trained drivers, approved vehicles and that the animal must be fit to travel. At the abattoir, food law and djurskyddslagen (the Swedish Animal Welfare Act) apply: the horse must be stunned effectively before slaughter.
International research shows that the slaughter process can involve welfare challenges. A British study that filmed the process at an abattoir found that every animal displayed stress-related behaviour at every stage, that 53 per cent slipped in the stunning box and that signs of ineffective stunning were observed in 22 per cent. A separate British study pointed to knowledge gaps around slaughtering horses in the presence of others of their kind.
The research is mainly from abroad; Swedish abattoirs are covered by national supervision and EU requirements, but there is limited published research specifically on conditions at Swedish horse slaughter. That underlines the importance of owners choosing serious operators, and of the industry continuing to work on welfare through the whole chain – from stable to abattoir.
Svenska Hästars Värn (SHV, Sweden's horse protection society) is Sweden's only animal-welfare organisation focused on horses and has run a nationwide rescue operation since 1993. The organisation takes in neglected horses seized by the länsstyrelse after a veterinary assessment, rehabilitates them and places them in foster homes. The work is funded through donations and voluntary effort – as emergency homes, foster carers and volunteers.
It is important to distinguish neglect from surplus. SHV does not, as a rule, take horses merely because the owner no longer wants to keep them – their mandate is neglected horses via official decision. Charitable sanctuaries and retirement homes also exist, but capacity is limited and there is no collected statistic on how many horses they take in.
International research on charitable rescue organisations notes that funding and capacity are limiting factors – a pattern that likely applies in Sweden as well. Rescue homes cannot solve the problem of horses in difficult situations on their own; preventive responsibility from owners and the industry is needed in parallel.
At Hästannons we believe welfare and responsible ownership belong together – whether you buy, sell, breed or ride. Read on in the series, and in our practical guides.
Jordbruksverket reports around 900–1,200 horses slaughtered each year at approved abattoirs, depending on the year. Most euthanased horses are not slaughtered, however – barely a third according to the HNS project Hästliv.
Old age, money, behavioural or health problems, and the horse no longer fitting the owner's needs are common reasons. Sweden has no official statistic, but the problem is handled mainly through sale, rehoming or euthanasia.
Charities such as Svenska Hästars Värn generally take in neglected horses via the länsstyrelse, not horses the owner simply can no longer keep. Contact the organisation directly if you are unsure.
A valid horse passport, that the horse has not been treated with prohibited medicines, and that the abattoir has agreed to take it in advance. Always contact the abattoir before you transport the horse.
Plan for lifelong ownership, be transparent when selling, and learn the options in good time – before the decision has to be made under pressure.